Skill game comprising a displaceable bowl from which objects are to be withdrawn



PEARSO SKILL GAME COMFRISING A DISPLACEABLE BOWL FROM WHICH OBJECTS ARE T0 BE WITHDRAWN Filed March 7, 1962 Nov. 24, 1964 gli i United States Patent O lice nur.,

SKILL GAME COMPRISING A DISPLACEABLE BOWL FROM WHICH OBJECTS ARE T BE WITHDRAWN Charles Pearson, Ir., 396 Huntington Lane, Elmhurst, Ill. Filed Mar. '7, 1962, Ser. No. 178,008 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) r`if the player in inserting his hand into the bowl to extract the contents touches a portion of the bowl or the contents so as to tilt the bowl momentarily, -a signal will be actuated to disqualify the player and the player will be required to release what he has picked up.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game device capable of being played by children as well as adults, which requires a high degree of manual dexterity and skill.

f Other objects will ybecome apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a view of the game device.

FIGURE 2 is ya crosssectional view taken on lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1, showing the parts in normal positions.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan View taken on lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 2, but with the bowl `supporting disc tilted to close the electrical circuit for operating the signal, and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic View showing the circuit.

The `game device has a housing or base generally indicated at 10, fonmed of plastic or non-electrical conducting material, which has a central annular wall 12 extending upward of the top 14 of the housing. The top of the housing 1li has an annular embossing 16 and an adjacent central opening 18.

Secured to the top 14 of the housing as by rivets 19 is a spider or 'six pointed star-shaped metal contact member 20, the lingers or points 22 of which extend upwardly from the central portion and terminate in downwardly curved tips 24. The central portion of contact member 20 is provided with an enlarged opening which surrounds the embossing 16.

A lbowl supporting disc 26 is `adapted to be supported on the housing for tilting movement. Secured to the underside of the disc by rivets 28 is an annular metal contact plate 30 having a central depressed portion 32, to the bottom wal-l of which is suitably anchored a metal threaded bolt 34 which extends through the opening 18 in the top of the housing. The bolt 34 is free to tilt in the opening 18. A metal nut 36 is secured to the lower end of the threaded bolt.

A met-al cup-shaped washer 38 is secured to the underside of the top 14 of the housing, and a metal coiled spring 4l) surrounds .the threaded bolt 34, with one end of the spring in engagement with the cupped washer 38 and the other end engaging the threaded nut 36. The bottom of the depressed portion 32 of the contact plate 30 rests on the top 14 of the housing within the embossing 16 bu-t is tree to tilt with respect thereto.

This construction supports the disc 26 in a horizontal position. Any slight pressure on the disc 26 anywhere except on the disc axis will cause the disc 26 Ito tilt, which will close an electrical circuit, to be presently described,

3,158,370 Patented Nov. 24, 19,64

which in turn will -actuate a signal. The disc 26 is thus delicately balanced. The compression of the spring 40 is controlled -by the adjustable nut 36.

The top of the disc 26 is provided with three equally spaced opstanding members 42 which will centrally position a bowl or vcontainer 44 on top of the disc 26.

S'uitably supported on the inside of .the housing 10 is -a pair of small dry cell batteries 46, as well as la signal member such .as a buzzer generally indicated at 48, both of which are connected, as shown in the circuit diagnam in FIGURE 5 and which will 'also be explained in connection with FIGURE 2.

The batteries 46 are connected by conductor 50 to the metal cupped washer 38, through coil spring 40, nut 36, bolt 34, to metal contact plate 30 on the underside of di-sc 26. The batteries 46 lare also connected through conductor 52 to the signal member or buzzer 48 which is yconnected through conductor S4 to the star-'shaped conrtact member 20 supported on the housing.

In normal positions the parts are as shown in FIGURE 2, in which case the disc 26 is in a horizontal position and the contact plate 30 thereon is out of .contact with the ystar-shaped contact member 20 so that the circuit is open.

Any momentary slight tilt of the disc 26 in any direction will cause the contact disc 30 to make contact with the tips 24 of -any of the lingers 22 and close the electrical circuit to operate the buzzer 48. Relieving the pressure on the periphery of the disc 26 will cause the disc 26 to assume its normal horizontal position, as shown in FIGURE 2, breaking the electrical circuit and ending the buzzing. It will be understood that a light signal can be connected in the circuit or be substituted `for the buzzer if desired.

The game device is played by placing money or other prizes in the bowl which rests on the disc. As long as the disc is centered with the weight contents equally distributed, the disc 26 will be in a horizontal position as shown in FIGURE 2, .and the circuit will be open. If the player reaching into the bowl to extract the money or prizes does it skillfully and with dexterity, he can remove same without tilting the disc 26, however, a slight touch or an uneven pressure against the bowl will tilt the disc 26 and close the circuit to sound the buzzer. It this occurs then the player must drop into the bowl that which he has picked up and is holding in his hand.

This provides a very tascinating :game which requires skill and manual dexterity in playing same.

It will be understood that various changes and modilica-tions may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A game device comprising a base, fa bowl supporting member supported on said base in a normal horizontal position, a bowl having an open top resting on said bowl supporting member and adapted to receive objects to be manually withdrawn through said open top, with said objects being positioned in said bowl to normally maintain said bowl supporting member in a horizontal position, the area above ysaid bowl being unobstructed so as to permit insertion of la players hand directly into said bowl for removal of said objects, normally separated contact members associated with said bowl supporting member and said base, a battery and a signal member in normally open electrical circuit with said contact members, said bowl supporting member adapted when tilted by manual pressure inadvertently applied thereto during withdrawal of Isaid objects to cause said contact members to engage each other and close the circuit to operate said signal member, .and means for restoring said supporting member to normal position to open said circuit immediately upon release of said manual pressure.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which said restoring means comprise spring means biasing the bowl supporting member into said normal horizontal position.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the ccntact member on the base comprises a member having a plurality of fingers extending upwardly of the base for engaging with `the contact member associated with the bowl `supporting member.

4. A gamedevice comprising a base, a bowl supporting member supported on said base in a normal borizontal position, .a bowl having an open top resting on said bowl supporting member and adapted to receive objects to be manually withdrawn through said open top,

with said objects being positioned in said bowl to normally maintain said bowl supporting member in a hori- 15 zontal position, the Iarea above said bowl being unobstructed so as to permit insertion of a players hand `directly into said bowl for removal of said objects, normally separated contact members associated with said bowl supporting member and said base, means for connecting said members to an electrical circuit comprising a battery 4and a signal member, said bowl supporting member adapted when tilted by manual pressure inadvertently applied thereto -dun'ng Withdrawal of said objects to cause said contact members to engage each other and close the circuit to operate said signal member, and means for restoring said supporting member to normal position to open said circuit immediately upon release cf said man- Aual pressure.

References .Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,146 Prentice Jan. 2S, 1949 2,508,146 DElia May 16, 1950 2,581,644 Frick Ian. 8, 1952 

4. A GAME DEVICE COMPRISING A BASE, A BOWL SUPPORTING MEMBER SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE IN A NORMAL HORIZONTAL POSITION, A BOWL HAVING AN OPEN TOP RESTING ON SAID BOWL SUPPORTING MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE OBJECTS TO BE MANUALLY WITHDRAWN THROUGH SAID OPEN TOP, WITH SAID OBJECTS BEING POSITIONED IN SAID BOWL TO NORMALLY MAINTAIN SAID BOWL SUPPORTING MEMBER IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION, THE AREA ABOVE SAID BOWL BEING UNOBSTRUCTED SO AS TO PERMIT INSERTION OF A PLAYER''S HAND DIRECTLY INTO SAID BOWL FOR REMOVAL OF SAID OBJECTS, NORMALLY SEPARATED CONTACT MEMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BOWL SUPPORTING MEMBER AND SAID BASE, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS TO AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT COMPRISING A BATTERY AND A SIGNAL MEMBER, SAID BOWL SUPPORTING MEMBER ADAPTED WHEN TILTED BY MANUAL PRESSURE INADVERTENTLY APPLIED THERETO DURING WITHDRAWAL OF SAID OBJECTS TO CAUSE SAID CONTACT MEMBERS TO ENGAGE EACH OTHER AND CLOSE THE CIRCUIT TO OPERATE SAID SIGNAL MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR RESTORING SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER TO NORMAL POSITION TO OPEN SAID CIRCUIT IMMEDIATELY UPON RELEASE OF SAID MANUAL PRESSURE. 